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Introducing esra, a Relational Language for Modelling Combinatorial Problems

  • Conference paper
Logic Based Program Synthesis and Transformation (LOPSTR 2003)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 3018))

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Abstract

Current-generation constraint programming languages are considered by many, especially in industry, to be too low-level, difficult, and large. We argue that solver-independent, high-level relational constraint modelling leads to a simpler and smaller language, to more concise, intuitive, and analysable models, as well as to more efficient and effective model formulation, maintenance, reformulation, and verification. All this can be achieved without sacrificing the possibility of efficient solving, so that even time-pressed or less competent modellers can be well assisted. Towards this, we propose the esra relational constraint modelling language, showcase its elegance on some well-known problems, and outline a compilation philosophy for such languages.

A previous version of this paper appears pages 63–77 in the informally published proceedings of the Second International Workshop Modelling and Reformulating CSPs, available at http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~sfrisch/Reformulation/03/

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Box 337, S – 751 05, Uppsala, Sweden

    Pierre Flener, Justin Pearson & Magnus Ågren

Authors
  1. Pierre Flener
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  2. Justin Pearson
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  3. Magnus Ågren
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

    Maurice Bruynooghe

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Flener, P., Pearson, J., Ågren, M. (2004). Introducing esra, a Relational Language for Modelling Combinatorial Problems. In: Bruynooghe, M. (eds) Logic Based Program Synthesis and Transformation. LOPSTR 2003. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3018. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-25938-1_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-25938-1_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-22174-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-25938-1

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